What's the right tactic to use here?

[Virt]

You're in a Novacat A (90 70 ton, 5 ERBL loadout).

A Sulla is flying straight at you, relatively slow speed, dead straight on.  It's barraging you with missiles which lock on and don't miss.

You try to hug the side of a mountain to protect your flank and give the Sulla a harder shot, but the Sulla just banks around at a leisurely pace, approaches from a different direction, flies dead straight at you, locks on, keeps barraging you with missiles.

I counted that I hit the Sulla at least 9 times, front on, with the ERBLs, before it killed me.   

Was there a better tactic to use in that circumstance?   Or is it really just a case of "in this game a Sulla will kill a Nova and that's that...?"

I'd appreciate any insight or tips.

[LordHack]

You were narc'ed, and I think you did hit more than 9 times over several hit locs.

[HAARP]

(a 90 ton Mech with 5 ERBLs).

70.

[Virt]

So, is there some kind of counter to being pounded into oblivion from on high like that?   

Or is it really a case of "try to inflict some counter damage and then bail before your inevitable destruction"...?

[EagleFire]

Yea, it's called hang our near some AAA. The other tactic is to put your head between your knees and kiss your ass goodbye.

[Virt]

LOL.  I was the AAA, until I got bored of it and wanted to do some actual Mech fighting

I take it the only tactic is to die, and respawn in either another aero (Sparrowhawk?) to attempt to bring the Sulla down?   Or maybe a Beat Stick would get in enough LBX shots to kill the Sulla before being killed itself?

[Leeko]

So, is there some kind of counter to being pounded into oblivion from on high like that?   

Your latest diatribe about things that aren't mechs, eh? We've been over this. AA huit knocks ASF out of the sky like it's a 20-story-tall man swatting them away. Moral of the story, Novacats don't constitute an AA  unit.

LOL.  I was the AAA, until I got bored of it and wanted to do some actual Mech fighting

I lol'd

[Virt]

Your latest diatribe about things that aren't mechs, eh?

Diatribe...?   I asked a question on strategy because, after the battle, I was wondering whether perhaps I could have done something better or differently.

Based on the rest of your (more rational) response, the plan is to die and respawn in a Huit (or I am guessing maybe a Beat Stick).

I'm also wondering whether, if I'd grouped the ERLBLs into two groups, that would have concentrated fire enough to have maybe taken a wing off (?)

I dunno, I just figured someone might know a better way.   

[Rally]

Here's what I do:

When I have a clear shot, I fire all the lasers at once.

I crouch my Nova Cat for a better firing arc against aircraft.

Also, I keep moving. Moving for two reasons. Moving to a better spot where I can hit the aero if it's impossible from my current location. Or moving to evade it's attacks. Some Sulla variants can't hit a moving target you know.

[LordHack]

You weren't behind moutain (a small hill, actually), 3/4 of your mech was exposed to 270 degrees of target arc, active radar.  You were damaged, basically alone, far from base, and no AA support w/ at least two S/KN dedicated (whole match) flyers.

You could have taken any mech you wanted, but @ 1500m range, you get the same result.  Consider it a blessing you got over 9 shots on target < 900m vs that Shiva B.

My opinions on the matter are known; but, this isn't any different than having an "oh shit" moment vs LT, except you got to shoot.

No offense, but the answer is obvious and these "why did I die" posts don't move the already well-posted ASF debate forward.  Everyone dies in situations that are, or become, tactically untenable.

I think I should win like 90% of my fights, unfortunately reality, the server, the interwebs, other players, the alignment of the planets, my aging neurons, and good ole chance figure it otherwise.

[LordHack]

Here's what I do:

When I have a clear shot, I fire all the lasers at once.

I crouch my Nova Cat for a better firing arc against aircraft.

Also, I keep moving. Moving for two reasons. Moving to a better spot where I can hit the aero if it's impossible from my current location. Or moving to evade it's attacks. Some Sulla variants can't hit a moving target you know.

You can also use NC-A's JJ instead of standing still, to avoid taking 2 full salvos to CT.

[Virt]

...the answer is obvious and these "why did I die" posts don't move the already well-posted ASF debate forward. 

You are really doing me a disservice with comments like that.

1. I am not aiming to even have an ASF debate here, let alone "move it forward".

2. If the answer was obvious I wouldn't have bothered to ask the question.

3. I was looking for ideas about how to better handle that situation in future.    In fact, the opposite of complaining about it.

Others in the thread have given me useful ideas and practical ideas to consider about how to handle that situation in future, which I appreciate.     

And incidentally, for the record, my radar was off after the first salvo, I had two teammates who got killed 15 seconds earlier which is how I got stranded in that vulnerable position, which I put in the 'stuff happens' category.     So don't make it sound like it was some kind of 'well of course you shouldn't have done that' situation.   

I'm sure others find themselves in that situation at times too.    I am just asking here for tactical ideas.   Sheesh.

EDIT:

You can also use NC-A's JJ instead of standing still, to avoid taking 2 full salvos to CT.

Which is another useful idea.    While I was moving, I could have moved vertically, too.

[LordHack]

I didn't imply you did anything wrong, but that's the point, right?  You asked, in that situation, if you are just supposed to die - sometimes, the answer is yes.

I'm also pointing out everyone can post their WTF situation of the day.....

[Nitro_R]

If I were in that position, I would power down my mech close to the side of a mountain, get out and take cover as BA.
Two things may happen:
A) The Sulla continues to shoot at your empty mech until it explodes.
B) The Sulla looks for another target because he won't get a kill without you in it.

If situation (A) occurs, so be it.  At least you weren't in your mech granting the Sulla a kill when it happened.
If situation (B) occurs, hop back into your Novacat and hoof it home for repairs or back into the cover of your team AA.

[~SJ~KorbinWimmer]

These threads are starting to seem more troll-like Virt.  You know the answer to these silly questions. it's a team game use your team.  Sulla Tbolts even with NARCS can miss often on targets that move.   But besides that, hang out with more effective AAA.  I'm not going to list it because you've been told tons of times how to counter things like this.